i would like to know which artcc will i pass thru on my trip to msp from phl? the route which i see most of the times is ptn sarra rav psb djb crl bae eau8. also on this route when to get near msp can you see the mall?

I dunno cause one night listening to the ZOB feed I tracked a flight from PHL TO MSP handing off from 135.725 ZOB to 126.125 ZAU. I really wish I could remeber the day I heard it Ed!!!!!!! Clear conditions so there were no Deviations Involved

For all it's worth, just looking over some routes off Flight Aware, they will occasionally on PHL-MSP use the northern route that bypasses Chicago/ZAU airspace.

NWA395 this morning ....

PTW.PTW320.SARAA.J64.RAV.PSB.J60.DJB.FNT.J106.GRB.EAU8

This route via DJB.FNT.J106.GRB bypasses ZAU, although it doesn't seem to be used that often. The AWI flight right behind NWA395 was routing the usual way through ZAU via DJB.J34.CRL.PMM.J70.BAE. Interestingly the NWA flights inbound to MSP this morning out of IAD, BWI and DCA were on the northern route bypassing ZAU via DJB.FNT.J106.GRB as well. Maybe ZAU is restricting traffic through their airspace at certain times of the day, or it's just a NWA thing ?

For all it's worth, just looking over some routes off Flight Aware, they will occasionally on PHL-MSP use the northern route that bypasses Chicago/ZAU airspace.[...]This route via DJB.FNT.J106.GRB bypasses ZAU, although it doesn't seem to be used that often. The AWI flight right behind NWA395 was routing the usual way through ZAU via DJB.J34.CRL.PMM.J70.BAE. Interestingly the NWA flights inbound to MSP this morning out of IAD, BWI and DCA were on the northern route bypassing ZAU via DJB.FNT.J106.GRB as well. Maybe ZAU is restricting traffic through their airspace at certain times of the day, or it's just a NWA thing ?

It could be a capacity planning issue; some sectors can get congested and then route planning will assign "slots" to the airlines that file flight plans through the sector. (A slot means that the plane will have to fly on an ATC prescribed schedule.) Planning the trip through less busy airspace can avoid slots (or get the airline a better slot) at the cost of some extra fuel consumption. It's up to airline operations to make the decision between fuel and delays.

Looking at flights (FlightAware) operated over the last few weeks between PHL-MSP it's only Northwest (5 daily flights) that appear to use this northern route occasionaly, the US Airways Express carriers (Air Wisconsin and Republic with 4 daily flights) always flew the southern route through ZAU over BAE. Of the last 50 flights operated by NWA, 13 (26%) operated via the northern route over FNT.GRB bypassing ZAU. When they did go north and bypass ZAU it didn't appear to be related to any particular flight, time, or weather (thunderstorms) ? DJ